A few days had passed since Feiyin's breakthrough with the yin refining pellet and the creation of his first series of meridian aptitude pills. The cave behind the waterfall had grown more fragrant with each batch he completed, a subtle mingling of herb, mineral, and elemental essence that clung to the damp air. Before him, carefully stored in sealed jade bottles, sat his haul- ten full series of three pills each. Thirty pills in total. A modest number for a Master Runic Alchemist perhaps, but for a first run with limited supplies, it was an incredible start.
He sat back on the flat stone he had claimed as his workbench, exhaling slowly. His fingers ached pleasantly from days of constant preparation, grinding, and shaping. He reached into his pack, retrieving a lacquered lunchbox wrapped neatly in cloth- his mother's handiwork. The faint aroma of seasoned rice and pickled greens teased his senses, pulling a small smile to his lips.
But just as he was about to untie the knot and finally enjoy a meal without the scent of refined herbs in his nose, his spiritual sense pricked.
A ripple.
It wasn't loud, not like the crashing cascade of the waterfall just meters away, but in the stillness of his mind's perception, it was as distinct as a pebble striking the surface of a pond. His eyes narrowed, the easy calm of a moment ago shifting into alert focus.
Feiyin stilled, letting his spiritual sense stretch outward through the veiling curtain of water. The familiar shapes of the surrounding forest resolved in his mind's eye: the spray-slick rocks, the mossy banks, the lazy drift of a bird gliding overhead. And then- there. A disturbance. A presence moving against the grain of the forest's natural rhythm.
The trace was faint, almost cautious, but the waterfall cave's concealment was meant to avoid notice entirely. For something- or someone- to be this close meant they had either stumbled upon it by chance… or they were looking for him.
He carefully set the lunchbox aside, one hand brushing over the smooth surface of a jade bottle. Ten full sets of pills. He had no intention of letting anyone disturb or steal them.
He reached out carefully with his spiritual sense, knowing that the chance of someone noticing it would be slim, for it had changed after his elemental infusion and essence qi transformation, carrying a faint natural trait of the world itself. As his senses stretched, he felt two presences approaching his location. At first, incredulity rose in him, for he couldn't make out their shape or form until he layered his oscillation sense over his spiritual perception. Only then did a humanoid outline emerge- tall, but indistinct.
Despite their effort to be stealthy, even using a talisman to mask themselves, they were but amateurs in his eyes. From their uneven breaths, he could tell that while physically strong, they were not true powerhouses. Curiosity stirred in him, and so he let them come closer, waiting until they reached the waterfall.
That was when voices drifted through the spray- childish, hushed, yet filled with earnestness.
A girl's voice, high and anxious, reprimanded the boy, "We shouldn't be here! We've already left the safe zone. If the elders find out, we'll be punished! Please, let's turn back before something happens."
The boy, voice brimming with bravado, scoffed at her worries. "You always doubt me. Trust my senses! Every time I've found something, wasn't it a treasure? I can feel it again- something strange and valuable is here. Don't be afraid, I'll protect you. Just wait and see."
Feiyin blinked at the sound, wry amusement flickering in his eyes. Quietly putting everything into his pouch, he activated one of his own concealing talismans and slipped out of the cave. From the shadows, he peered across the pond- and his expression turned bemused. Standing there were giant children, nearly three meters tall despite their youthful, round-faced features. Their childish expressions and bickering contrasted oddly with their immense size. Each wore long cloaks interwoven with faint sigils that shimmered softly, designed to mask their presence. Beneath the hoods, their eyes were wide with inexperience, their limbs long and gangly, more like oversized adolescents than refined cultivators, yet their playful quarrel showed no awareness of the world around them.
Suppressing a chuckle, Feiyin decided to tease them. He summoned his essence qi, guiding it with elemental intent into the water below. From the pond, a long tentacle of water rose, slipping silently behind the boy. The girl noticed first, her eyes widening as the watery limb waved at her. Then it tapped the boy's shoulder. Annoyance flared on his face, quickly replaced by terror when he realized his companion stood in front of him. He slowly spun around, saw the looming water limb, and yelped, leaping back in fright.
Feiyin's laughter finally escaped him, soft but clear, as he dispersed the water construct and stepped into view before them, a calm smile on his lips as he regarded the flustered children. The boy instantly flushed with anger and embarrassment, hurriedly stepping in front of the girl to shield her while blurting out, "W-who are you?!" His tone cracked between defiance and panic, and his hands spread wide as though to block Feiyin's gaze from the girl.
Feiyin simply smiled, tilting his head slightly. "You two looked very cute while trying to hide," he said lightly, his voice carrying both warmth and amusement. "But you should be more aware of your surroundings. Tell me, why are you wandering near my temporary abode?"
The boy's eyes narrowed suspiciously. "Don't play dumb. Were you the one looking for the treasure I sensed here?"
Feiyin chuckled, shaking his head. "Treasure? No, I've only been refining pills here. Hardly the sort of thing you're imagining."
The boy scoffed, trying to mask his unease. "Hah, then you must be some newbie alchemist gambling with scraps. Don't act mysterious."
The girl, however, tilted her head with a faint furrow in her brow, her tone more respectful. "Excuse me… were you behind the waterfall just now?"
Feiyin gave a small nod.
She turned toward the boy. "Then isn't that exactly where you said you felt the treasure?"
The boy grunted reluctantly. "Y-yeah… it was there."
The girl looked back to Feiyin, her eyes bright with curiosity. "Then… are you perhaps able to make patterned products?"
Feiyin's smile deepened, and he nodded once more.
The boy immediately scoffed and tugged at her sleeve. "See? He must have already taken the treasure. No point hanging around here. We should head back."
Feiyin lifted a brow. "Do you live far from here? Perhaps I could follow along."
The girl quickly shook her head, glancing away as guilt colored her cheeks. "We weren't even supposed to come out in the first place. Bringing an outsider back would only make things worse. I'm sorry, we can't."
Feiyin accepted it with an easy nod, then tilted his head in thought. "Still, why did you ask about my level of alchemy? Were you perhaps searching for an alchemist for something?"
The boy crossed his arms proudly, lifting his chin. "Hmph, as if we'd need the help of a small alchemist. We already have plenty back home-"
He was cut off when the girl gasped, her expression changing sharply as the talisman at her waist flared red. "Brother! Our parents… they've found out! We need to return immediately!"
The boy paled, the bravado on his face faltering as he grabbed her hand. Both prepared to dash off when Feiyin called lightly after them. "Then at least, relay this for me: I'll remain here near the waterfall. If your family's alchemists are curious, I would welcome a meeting to discuss."
The children were already running when Feiyin flicked his wrist. Two small pills which he had refined in the last month arced through the air, landing neatly in the girl's hands. "A small gift," he said with a warm smile. "Patterned physique-nurturing pills. Use them well."
The girl clutched them instinctively, wide-eyed, before being pulled away by her brother. Their hurried footsteps soon vanished into the forest mist.
Feiyin lingered in thought. The giant race, renowned for their unmatched might and physique, as well as their deep-rooted connection to the world. In the last two centuries, they had been little more than rumor in this region, with only fleeting sightings. To stumble upon two of their young now was no small coincidence. Still, he would not force the matter. He already had much on his plate. But planting a seed of goodwill was always a good thing, especially since he didn't expect much.
The pills he had gifted, while certainly precious on the market due to their distinct patterned forms, were not treasures he placed high importance upon anymore.
For him, they were tokens- an offering of goodwill rather than a display of his limits. Now that he had crossed into the threshold of forming true runes, such patterned pills were stepping-stones at best. Yet he knew the difference in perception mattered. The elders of a great clan like the giants would recognize their worth instantly, even if the two adventurous children could not.
By placing such gifts in their hands, he was planting a silent message: here was not a wandering novice dabbling in luck, but a youth of rare attainment, someone whose backing and potential placed him beyond the reach of easy suppression.
This subtle assertion of status was, in truth, another layer of armor, for Feiyin had no desire to abandon this serene waterfall abode. The forest, with its veiled mists and the song of wind and snow, suited his cultivation perfectly. And with his refined perception- his spiritual sense wide range and his oscillation sense attuned to both emotion and hostility- he could judge intent before blades were drawn. If threats truly came, he knew he could always retreat first.